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408 High Plain Road

Architectural Description:

Style: Vernacular

other features: with ell, added later

Historical Narrative:

Themes: Agricultural, Community development

The property was purchased by George Boutwell on April 1, 1853 from Edward & George Hyde of Newton, MA brothers of Samuel Hyde and Fanny Hyde. The farm was owned by Samuel Hyde who died Sept. 9, 1849. The Hyde farm in 1850 consisted of 44 acres of land on the south side of High Plain Road, with a house and shed valued at $1700. High Plain Road is in the West Parish of Andover, now referred to as West Andover, and was once part of the Abbott School District.

George Boutwell married Fanny Hyde of Newton, MA in May 1827. Fanny b. Apr. 5, 1804 was the daughter of Samuel & Lucy Hyde of Newton. George & Fanny had seven children; Lucy F. b. 1828, George Jr. b. 1831, Edward H. b. 1832, Parthenia P. b. 1835, Samuel H. b. 1838, Louisa W. b. 1840 and Mary K. b. 1846. George’s first farm was located a short distance to the west of the Hyde place at 23 Pleasant Street at the corner of Boutwell Road. In 1860 the farm is now 115 acres, a dwelling house valued at $1800, barn & shed $700, old barn $300, 45 acres adjoining the new building, 33a pasture, 9a adjoining the old barn, 10a Robertson land, 8a Abbott lot, 4a Farnham Lot and 6a meadow. The total valuation of the farm was $7116 with an additional farm stock value of $521.

The barn may date from this period of about 1860. George Boutwell died on July 17, 1861 and his farm was divided between his three sons, George Jr., Edward Hyde Boutwell and Samuel Hyde Boutwell. Their mother Fanny died Sept. 23, 1873 age 70y 8m 16d. George Jr. and his wife Sarah Jane (Robinson) Boutwell lived at 408 High Plain Road. They had eight children; two sons, Walter B, and Louis T. and six daughters, Fannie L., Sarah F., Mary W., Lydia J., Josie S. and Anna M., After the death of George Jr. in 1905 his son Lewis T. and daughters Lydia & Anna remained on the farm the rest of their lives.

George and Sarah’s nephew Everett S. (son of Samuel H. Boutwell) & his wife Lillian G. (Holt) Boutwell would purchase the farm in March 1942 from his Aunt Lydia Boutwell. The original Hyde house was a cape style home and the Boutwells added a story and a half addition to the west side of the house. An additional shed was added to the rear south side of the house about 1895. This addition was said to have been the former North District Schoolhouse that was purchased at auction and moved to the lot. The entire home was razed in the summer of 1994 for a new home when the property left the Boutwell family. Prior to the death of Lillian in 1984 the farm land began to be sold. The barn and lot to the west of the house was divided off and sold to Andover natives Stephen and Gwen (Batchelder) Kearn. They built a new home at 412 High Plain Road and did extensive repairs to the barn, foundation and grounds to save it from further decay and demolition.

2. Lucy Frances Boutwell [Jonathan, George] b. July 23, 1828, Andover, MA daughter of George & Fanny (Hyde) Boutwell. married Artemas Wiswall. Lucy joined the West Parish Church in Andover in March 1856 member #434.
Children;
George Boutwell Wiswall

3. George Boutwell Jr.[Jonathan, George] b. February 3, 1831 Andover, MA son of George & Fanny (Hyde) Boutwell. George was educated in the local public schools and attended Phillips Academy under Principal James S. Eaton. He was a farmer married Sarah Jane Robinson b. 1833 in Maine. They had eight children and raised them at the farm at 408 High Plain Rd. in Andover. After the death of George in June 1905 age 74y 4m 3d his son Lewis T. and daughters Lydia & Anna remained on the farm with their mother the remainder of their lives. Sarah d. April 2, 1914 at age 81. George and Sarah are interred at West Parish Cemetery, Andover, MA.
George R. b. 1856
Fannie Louisa b. 1857 d. m. Alfred Augusta Miner
Louis T. b. July 1859 d. m.
Sarah Frances b. 1861 d. m. Winfield Scott James
Walter B. b. 1862 d. Apr. 14, 1938 m. lived in Lawrence
Mary Winchester b. 1865 d. m. George Purington Bailey
Lydia Jane b. 1867 d. Mar. 20, 1945 78y 8m 7d.
Josie S. b. May 15, 1874 d. June 30, 1948 - m. Grant E. Miner
Anna Magoun b. Sept. 1875 d.

6. Samuel Hyde Boutwell [Jonathan, George] b. March 25, 1838 Andover, MA son of George & Fanny (Hyde) Boutwell. Samuel died October 8, 1919 at 81 years in Andover at 61 Chestnut St. at the home of his son Frederic. Samuel was a farmer in West Andover on Haggetts Pond Road. He was active in town affairs as Selectman for over 20 years. During his term of office “nearly all of the town improvement, macadam roads, sewer, water, gas, street railways, concrete sidewalks, electric lighting, parks, were made.” He served for 25 years as trustee of the Punchard High School and was also on the school committee for several years. Served at the State level as representative to the General court in 1874 and 1910. Samuel joined the West Parish Church in January 1858 #473. He was church moderator five times, assessor in 1867, 1885-1891 & 1896- 1903 and a Deacon from 1887-1919. Married Alice Jane Trull b. September 1840 d. April 5, 1815.Both are interred at West Parish Cemetery in the Boutwell family lot section N lot 3.
Children;
Frederic Samuel b. Oct. 30, 1865 d. Feb. 1939 unmarried
Arthur Trull b. May 3, 1868 d. Sept. 3, 1940? m. Susan Molther

8. Mary King Boutwell [Jonathan, George] born April 11, 1846 daughter of George & Fanny (Hyde) Boutwell. Mary K. never married and lived with family members part of her life. When her brother Edward and his wife Ellen died in 1876 Mary took over raising her their three children, Edward W. b. Apr. 1862, Nellie E. b. 1865 Adella M. b. 1872. Her brother Samuel became their guardian. In 1900 she resided with her brother Samuel H. Boutwell and later lived at 67 Bartlet Street, in Andover. Mary died November 5, 1925 age 79y 7m and is interred in the Boutwell family lot at West Parish Cemetery, Andover, MA.